It is generally accepted that an ePortfolio should be owned by the learner, or whoever is creating and adding the content. For some ePortfolios this may be a clearly specified requirement.

An individual is more likely to use an ePortfolio if they feel they have ownership.

There are a number of ways an individual can take ownership of an ePortfolio, these include:

• Having full control over who can view, modify and comment on evidence.
• Modifying the look of the ePortfolio, by changing the layout and colour scheme.
• An ePortfolio which is not hosted by or branded as being owned by the learning provider or employer.
• Knowledge that the individual can continue to access and develop the ePortfolio, beyond their time at their current learning provider or employer.

Some awarding bodies have strict guidelines on who owns the various components of an ePortfolio. For example Edexcel specify:

• That evidence is in the ownership of the candidate
• That assessment and IV is in the ownership of the centre